Case study

Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (ISG) Transforms Critical Infrastructure Security with Picus

Industry: Aviation and Critical Infrastructure
Size: 1000+
Products: Security Control Validation (SCV)
Attack Path Validation (APV)
Exposure Validation (EXV)
Detection Rule Validation (DRV)
About: Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport serves millions of passengers every year as one of the ten busiest airports in Europe. Classified as critical infrastructure, the airport houses dozens of different services including aviation, ground handling, and accommodation

Challenges & Results

Challenge: Enriching expert assessment with data-driven context

Result: Focus on critical risks through automated, contextual prioritization
Challenge: Assessing real exploitability beyond severity scores

Result: Clear separation of genuinely exploitable threats
Challenge: Consolidating data from multiple security tools

Result: Unified visibility and centralized management on a single platform
Challenge: Continuously reassessing security priorities against current risk context

Result: Dynamic, context-aware prioritization with CTEM
Challenge: Accelerating response processes with evidence-based output

Result: Fast action with IT teams built on contextual data
Challenge: Making the impact of security improvements measurable

Result: Tangible progress in the security score after every remediation
Challenge: Reinforcing a proactive security discipline through continuous validation

Result: A sustainable, evidence-based security culture

Executive Summary

Operational continuity is vital at an international airport. The Sabiha Gokcen Airport cybersecurity team adopted the Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) approach with Picus to take the mature security program protecting its critical infrastructure one step further through continuous validation and contextual prioritization.

Thanks to Picus’s integration capability and contextual prioritization structure, the team consolidated data from different security tools on a single platform and directed its focus to genuinely exploitable risks. The result: more precise prioritization, faster response times, and a tangible increase in team motivation.

The Challenge: Taking Security Maturity to the Next Level

The team protecting this critical infrastructure, which serves millions of passengers a year, managed a large and complex inventory through expert assessment. With security scans producing thousands of findings every day, distinguishing which of those findings were genuinely exploitable, faster and with greater precision, became the team’s next goal.

The team focused on two core areas: going beyond vulnerability scores to assess real exploitability in the environment with full context, and consolidating data from multiple security tools on a single platform to make faster, more unified decisions.

“Protecting a large and diverse inventory of critical infrastructure systems alongside standard IT requires serious expertise and coordination. Keeping operational continuity secured at the highest level is the core priority behind running our security work with precision and discipline at every stage.”

Melike Ates, Cybersecurity Specialist, ISG

The Solution: Separating the Right Risks from Thousands of Findings

Rather than adding another tool to the security stack, the ISG cybersecurity teams chose to validate and strengthen their existing defenses with Picus. Its high integration capability brought vulnerability data from different security products, attack simulation output, and inventory information together on a single platform.

Security Control Validation (SCV) tested the effectiveness of existing controls against real-world attack techniques. Simulations revealed which attack vectors needed attention, and vector-focused fine-tuning raised the level of protection.

Exposure Validation (EXV) went beyond findings that only looked “critical” on vulnerability scores, enabling the team to identify the security gaps that required urgent assessment. The team focused on remediating critical vulnerabilities by taking the steps that would create the highest impact.

Picus showed us which threats were genuinely exploitable in our environment rather than just flagging everything by vulnerability score. It let us focus on the right risks.

Melike Ates, Cybersecurity Specialist

The Results: A Security Discipline Reinforced by Continuous Validation

Integrating Picus with the CTEM approach, the ISG cybersecurity team further strengthened the security program it was already running with a data-driven model built on continuous validation. Seeing prioritized risks on a single platform significantly reduced the workload and directed focus to the genuinely critical areas. Evidence-based output strengthened communication with IT teams, and action times dropped visibly.

“Seeing the security score improve after every remediated vulnerability didn’t just strengthen our security posture. It significantly boosted team motivation.”

Melike Ates, Cybersecurity Specialist

This approach reflects what modern security now demands. As threats grow more complex and regulatory pressure increases, many organizations remain reactive, investing in prevention tools while going without real-world testing. According to Ates, a mindset shift is underway:

I see CTEM and Picus becoming an integral part of our long-term cybersecurity strategy. The benefit isn’t limited to the security team alone; it delivers real value for every IT team we work with.

Why ISG Chose Picus

The Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport cybersecurity team chose Picus for both its performance and its collaborative approach. Deployment moved fast and without friction. Weekly meetings kept the setup steps on track, and scan configurations went live in a short time.

Compared to many other products we’ve worked with, this was one of the easiest to deploy and configure.

Advice for Security Leaders

Don’t approach this as just a tool investment. Approach it as a holistic security discipline. When implemented correctly, CTEM reduces workload while directing focus to the risks that genuinely matter. The key is to position CTEM as a sustainable, measurable practice that the entire organization owns.

Melike Ates, Cybersecurity Specialist, ISG

What Our Customers Say

It is no different from a Magician. Ever since we took Picus into our inventory, it has helped significantly to increase our maturity level.

IT Security and Risk Management- Energy and Utilities Industry
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Picus completes the task it is required to do perfect as a BAS solution. Threat database is up to date & updated frequently after a new malware or campaign.

IT Security Engineer - Banking
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Using Picus, we can conduct risk analysis about possible attacks for their impact on people, processes and technology layers.

IT Manager - Healthcare and Biotech Industry
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A very successful platform where we can test the accuracy of our security investments and see their scores.

Manager, IT Security and Risk Management - Manufacturing
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Picus is very good attack simulation tool in overall. It shows all security vulnerabilities and guides..

Sr. Information Security & Risk Officer - Banking
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There is a very nice team from which I can get quick support. The application provides us with great convenience and confidence in our work.

Information Security Specialist - Transportation
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We've been using product for seven years. It's very useful and easily integrated with the network environment and security products.

System Engineer - IT Services
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If you have a complex environment and not enough human resource, Picus will help you to prioritize your tasks with its extended detection capabilities.

IT Specialist - Insurance
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We have been using Picus more than 1,5 years, we can truly say this product gives us every aspect of our protection. Its suggestions save our times and show us how we are ready for upcoming threats.

CIO - Banking
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It helped us a lot in detecting faulty configurations and troubleshooting. It also gave us an idea about the investments we are planning to make.

IT Security and Risk Management - Retail
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Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (ISG) Transforms Critical Infrastructure Security with Picus

Challenges & Results

Executive Summary

The Challenge: Taking Security Maturity to the Next Level

The Solution: Separating the Right Risks from Thousands of Findings

The Results: A Security Discipline Reinforced by Continuous Validation

Why ISG Chose Picus

Advice for Security Leaders

What Our Customers Say

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